Special Olympics' Unified Sports ProgramOphir Alalouf

Introduction• Ophir Alalouf earned his doctor of dental surgery (DDS) from the State

University of New York at Buffalo in 1994 and has owned and managed Rockville, Maryland's Kids Teeth, LLC, Health: Pediatric Dentistry since 2000. Outside of his role as a dentist, Dr. Ophir Alalouf supports participation and inclusion in sport through donations to Special Olympics.

One way the Special Olympics is making team sports a more inclusive activity is through its Unified Sports program, which places people with and without cognitive disabilities on the same team. At the core of the program is the belief that playing and training together leads to stronger relationships and a better understanding of each other. 

Over 1.2 million people throughout the world participate in Unified Sports. The program is also used in over 4,300 United States middle and high schools, while 215 of the country's universities and colleges have on-campus Special Olympics clubs that provide similar services.